Hey Guys, I had the opportunity to interview the beautiful and multi-talented media artist Sheena, Sheena has used social media to share her passion for music, TV and film.
She just finished her new video on youtube, check it out!
Hope you enjoy the interview.
Hi Sheena, How are you doing?
I’m doing great thank you!
So can you quickly give us some background information about yourself?
That’s an easy question (laughing)! In a nutshell I would say I’m a Media Artist, with roots as a singer-songwriter. In today’s digital age, I find myself attracted to various areas along with music, like TV/Film, and of course the Internet has been good to me as well!
How would you describe your style of music?
My music is really an amalgamation of many different styles. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been influenced by different corners of the world. I grew up in Canada, studied jazz, and opera and always loved R&B/Pop music.
My grandfather, who was a composer in India taught me to appreciate Indian classical music from an early age. And, to add to the mix, I lived in Tokyo a few years ago and that really opened my ears and my heart to a whole new musical world.
What type of music do you listen to?
I love any kind of music that speaks to me. The message can be found in a catchy beat, a beautiful storyline, or even something weird and quirky that catches my attention. I love music that is moving.
Doesn’t matter what the style is, as long as I can feel the passion behind the beat or words, I’ll keep listening.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I cannot just name one or two people who have inspired me. I am really lucky that way because my inspiration stems from everything and everyone around me.
We all have music in us. Of course, my family and friends contribute the most to my songwriting, because I write from my experiences (or theirs!); and, in terms of inspirations to sing, the list starts with my first choir director and range to my favourite singers and songwriters today.
A person can be inspired just about anywhere and I think the trick is just to be receptive to it. I once heard that songs are already written, we just have to find and share them. I believe that 100%.
At what age did you realise that singing was a career path you wanted to pursue?
I’ve never really wanted to do anything else to be honest. Of course, I’ve had bad days, weeks or even months, but when music hits me hard I shift my focus to screen projects (nothing that I can reveal yet I’m afraid!) or to the SheenaMelwani.com world! How can you really complain when you do what you love every day?
What will you say has been some of the benefits of posting your videos online, especially on YouTube and the power the internet has given individuals and talents to be able to share their passion with the world?
I was in Japan when I posted my first video on YouTube, and thought it would be a good way to stay connected with my friends back home. It was my way to share my voice and music with my circle of friends and family (and I thought a few others might watch as well, and that was fine by me).
Now, two years and over 10 million hits later, people from all over the world are encouraging me every day to finish my album, to sing another song on SheenaTV, to help guide their own budding careers. I get messages in English, French, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, German, Portuguese - the list goes on and on!
The internet has literally brought us all together and it’s thanks to YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and such sites that independent artists now also have direct access to a worldwide fan base.
Why did you decide to start SheenaTV?
I first started SheenaTV because I was contacted by Yahoo! to be one of the very first broadcasters for a beta project called Yahoo! Live. I thought it would be a nice way for people to get to know the real me and agreed. Ironically, the Yahoo! program died but SheenaTV went from an average of 50 viewers an episode to close to a 1000 - thankfully not everyone chats at the same time!
People enjoy connecting in ‘real-time’ and SheenaTV allows me to do so directly with my fans. Apart from playing the part of the ‘Human Jukebox‘ (people don’t seem to care if I know all the words to their favourite songs), I also sample some original music, discuss issues the group wants to discuss and sometimes give everyone a ‘behind-the-scenes’ view of a video being filmed.
What do you outside music, what other projects are you involved in?
I’m into a lot of things other than music! Music may be my heart, but it is not the only thing in my life! I spend almost every morning at the gym, enjoy practicing yoga, love to cook, and most of all - love to eat!
What should we be expecting from you in the near future?
Many wonderful things I hope! I have an album in process, an iPhone app in the making, some screen ideas somewhere in the mix and I’m just going with the flow. Its not about the destination, but the journey, right?
What has been your greatest challenge?
When you handle everything independently, it really takes discipline and motivation to keep moving forward. I think this has been my biggest challenge thus far. Somedays, you can wake up and feel like you’ve moved backwards, and that’s not a nice feeling!
Lucky for me, that doesn’t happen too often, and when it does the people in my life are great at getting me back on my feet. And, when that doesn’t work I just get on SheenaMelwani.com or Facebook and seeing people commenting from around the world, at all times of the day and night reminds me immediately why I do what I do.
What advice do you have for those who want to pursue a career as a singer?
Don’t take no for answer. If you want to be a professional singer, then keep singing and don’t be afraid to put yourself and your music out there. Not everyone is going to like your voice, but you have to keep pushing. And in this day and age, with all these social media tools right at your fingertips, there really is no excuse anymore. Sing because you want to sing, not because you want people to listen!
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
A lot can happen in five years! I hope I’m doing more of what I’m doing now. Working on various media projects for a wider audience. I am a big believer in destiny, so I too am excited about what destiny may have in store for me!
Any last words for your fans and the readers of YHP?
Of course, I always have something else to say! Thank you for watching me, listening to my music, visiting my website, and simply for believing in me. It makes all the work much easier to do when you see people enjoying the final product, so a big “Thank You” - from the bottom of my heart for making my experience such a wonderful one.
Thanks for your time Sheena
You are very welcome. Thank you for your time as well!
Connect with Sheena
SheenaMelwani.com
Facebook.com/SheenaMelwaniMusic
YouTube.com/SheenaMelwani
Twitter.com/SheenaMelwani
Myspace.com/SheenaMelwani
